The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1887-04-08

AIHaII1ISo TRIp.-St. Paul, March
29.-F. d. Thayer. Pullman car conduo.
tor on tho Northern Pacific road, gives this
graphic scspuns of,he perilous trip of q
party % e've, made across the river at
Bismarck y Thursday night. duriug the
ice gorge he: His orders were impera-
tive to % the river, and be managed to
hire hva'u p totake him and six passen-
gera aofos inss yasl The food was at
It's height hs Mtssoari Rlvor was full of
floating ID aad + sconed sImo.t impossi.
bio for q At .e1ss iu the angry torrent.
A steams o@ Bisuark had made trip
early ID ~ days landing mp sssssn I. dis
TANGO OF fo miles afrou Mandan. Mr.
Thayer sa J: ....s..- II,
We left { e landing about Eve o'clock
IL looked asashOush We would mako the
trip to Bhmark before dark, as the
current was running so swiftly that il was
only necessary TO steer the boat and keep
her nose down stroam. Suddenly, and
without wasring, a.squall struck us, the
boat almost upset, so violent was the shock,
and We SHIPPED sea that completely filled
the bottom the boa. aud gave us a
duOkiug. The wind seemed to have start.
ed the ics, AID We were continually being
caught In edlies that would turn the boat
around and make il upmauageabl, even
with four stsSng mon a. tho oars. Once
we collided. 9th au ice foo with such force
that it seemed as if VIC should go to the
bottom. IN
eve gre4qally worked the boat into the
trss-tops;t ysro few feet above water,
secured qgs, aud then discussed the
situation. ID this timo it was quite dark.
We had thg ehoice Of remaining where We
were all mig or veuturiug out into the
main ohane snd taking chances of reaoh-
ing our dsglsetion. We naturally chose
the fofn ourse. The wind had in
creased ia bnoe, and soon after dark i.
then bsgan sin, hail, aud finally snow.
Oqsclo3bil sh wet through, and finally
ffozs s.if sof the party had got his
feet ~sb A. hinged his stockings, but
his she's Efd be was so beuum bed
that AsssoH kset them on again. He
then spse aR his sa.ohel.. GU. the
-,--- .l(brSPss<=ss~=asss.as.-~as-
sleeves Westood up in the boat, stamp
cd, swung our arms to keep our blood in
circulation, aud resorted to every form of
exercise that our cramped position would
permit. One ofthe party finally gave up,
aud declared he did not care if he did
freeze to death, and sank down in the boat.
I aroused him by smart slap in the
face, thar angered him, and he got up and
wanted to fight The ssmc thing occurred
several times during that awful night, and
1 am satisfied that We should all have per-
ished but for such measures. The roaring
OF the river and the cracking of the ice
were simply awful. At times We could
not make ourselves heard, aud to add to
ous discomfoture we could hear quite near
US the screams Of two mountain lions,
probably in some tree-top imprisoned by
the flood. At last tho long weary hours
wore away, and faint elcam of light ap-
pearad in the Eastern sky, and as it grew
lighter the tide gradually went down and
the muddy waves diminished 10 size. There
was less leo in the river, too, and with be-
numbed hauds We unfastened our moorings
and drifted with tho food down the river,
and finally managed to get ashore.